The iPod touch is Apple’s new touch screen iPod offering. It’s essentially an iPhone without the phone features. It includes Wi-Fi, as well as the Safari web browser for internet access.
The crucial difference between the iPod touch and iPhone however, is the fact Apple is selling the iPod touch worldwide from the end of September.
Apple have already sold over 100m iPods, not all of which were full sized versions, but it gives an idea of the numbers. This means there is the possibility of many millions of people with the ability to browse the web on a quality mobile device. As Steve Jobs said, this is not the watered-down mobile web, this is the full web experience.
What does this mean for Web Developers?
With the potential for millions of people to use their iPod to browse the web, it could become a significant platform. It definitely will become a platform that needs to be tested on by developers, making sure that sites work with the screen-size and interface.
However, the bigger question is when will clients start requesting “iPod enabled” websites? We have already seen the likes of Digg and Facebook creating iPhone specific interfaces, making use of the iPhone’s screen size and touch interface.
I wonder if it will ever get to a point in time where people head on over to your website or web app and expect an “iPod enabled” interface?
Lots of things to consider, but you can see how the inclusion of a web browser on the iPod opens the doors to many new possibilities.
What are your thoughts?
3 responses so far ↓
Derek // September 6, 2007 at 2:27 am
Although Mobile Safari use is still considerably low (relative to the competition), I think we’ll see more iPod Touch / iPhone friendly web interfaces.
What I hope that developers keep in mind is that Mobile Safari does a fantastic job rendering standard web pages [especially over Wifi].
Devs, make sure to provide visitors with an option to view pages in their full glory!
Bill W. // September 6, 2007 at 10:10 am
I had a thought. When the iPhone came out, everyone started making iPhone compatible websites like “iphone.somedomain.com”. But, now that mobile Safari is appearing in devices like iPodTouch, it doesn’t make sense for people to name their domains that way.
What exactly do you name the iPhone/iTouch/iFutureDevice subdomains then?? Somebody really needs to come up with a better convention for mobile Safari URLs.
Avasilcai Daniel // December 18, 2007 at 8:56 am
I thought that resolution 800xsomething will disappear but i was wrong, will emerge on the market new devices that will similar resolution, one of this is the iphone. What i hate on this devices(i mean ipod touch &iphone) for example that they really have a good os (mac os x adapted mobile) but you can not have the preview app (adapted), text edit(adapted) so you must read pdf, doc file on your email, and is not all, you can not read pdf larger than 10mb, so i am asking my self for what all this 8gigs memory? I will buy this especially for reading ebooks on it. They are too limited on music & video , & email reading. In my opinion this is only a marketing, they do not want to develop other useful app on it, they want to sell content on itunes store. I don’t buy a device like this only to navigate with it. How many sites are real mobile ready? They got to sell millions to convince developers, i don’t mean only digg&facebook, i mean e banking sites, e commerce, where you can buy airplane tickets or things like this. Will see…
Leave a Comment